Chains that Bind
by Naree
Summary: kaoru is megumi's maid and kenshin is megumi's suitor. sparks fly in different direction. will be kxk. just the first chapter but i want to know if i should continue.


Well, my second story even though I haven't even finished my first one. I kinda got caught up into things with school and stuff. There has been lots of drama which I am sure no one wants to hear about. I suck for that, sorry. I will continue the other story soon- I hope.

So, this is an idea I had- actually I had a dream and this is what I could vaguely remember of it. I took it and expanded it much deeper and of course, fit in the wonderful characters of Rurouni Kenshin. I want to see what kind of response I get and if I should continue with the story. It is just in its beginning so I hope it's good.

Disclaimer: I do not, though I wish to God I did, have any rights to Rurouni Kenshin.

In the Beginning

Kaoru sighed as she finished her daily shores. She was a maid to the Takani house and very thankful to be one. She remembers the days before her life at the castle.

Flashback

_It hurts. I'm so hungry. Why do I have to live like this?_

_These were questions which plagued her mind daily. Kaoru had no recollection of her life before she was 5. All she knew was waking up in the alleys of Kyoto, starving. Kaoru was fortunate enough to be found by an old couple after she collapsed from exhaustion on their doorstep. _

_They took care for her as well as they could, but were very poor. They ran a run-down dojo where they taught many poor kids how to defend themselves. Because of their kindness, they never charged money for their services. But many of the parents gave whatever food they could spare to this kind old couple. _

_This old couple were childless and saw Kaoru as a blessing. They pored love and affection on her as well as all the wisdom they could bestow. Kaoru was a special child- it was obvious from her looks. She had bright blue eyes and long raven hair tinted blue in the sun. Everyone for as far as the next kingdom only had brown hair and brown eyes. It was rumored that the royalty possessed colored eyes, but it was a crime to look royals in the eye so many dismissed the rumors._

_Kaoru was also a very quick learner. With remarkable agility and speed, the slight girl's mind imbibed all there was to learn. Eventually she mastered the old couple's style of sword fighting. She loved the Kamiya Kashin's idealistic values- a sword to protect, not destroy._

_But as most people the old couple's age did, they passed away. They left her nothing in monetary value, but all the knowledge they gave in the span of seven years was priceless. She was to be true to herself and protect others. She was special and hers was a special destiny. Kaoru was only 12 but she was also very skilled in Kamiya Kashin style. She tried keeping the dojo up, but when the war broke out, she was run out of her home as more violence hit the land. _

_The only place left to go was the only neutral kingdom for thousands of miles, Takanidom. The only problem was the town was overcrowded. Refugees from hundreds of miles away flooded to the kingdom for protection against the rest of the war stricken land._

_Kaoru was fortunate enough to get into the walls of the kingdom before a plague hit, killing most of the refugees camping outside and waiting to be let into the city. _

_There were still many people and not enough jobs. The peaceful land of Takanidom turned into a land of corruption and poverty. Gangs lined the streets and geishas were on every corner looking to work for some money. _

_She did menial tasks- anything that she could get food and shelter for. She usually cleaned up after rich people, the slobs. They always left big disgusting messes that no one wanted to clean up- perfect for her because there was not much competition in that line of work and she could work unseen. She usually couldn't keep a job because it would only be a matter of time before her bosses saw how special she was and wanted more from her. This had happened more times than she could count and she didn't like to resort to violence so she moved on to new jobs whenever she felt it was necessary._

_The only thing she would never degrade herself to doing was anything sexual. She had been offered numerous times. There was an unlimited amount of perverts with enough money in the town, but she refused. If not for her fighting skills, she probably would have most defiantly been captured and sold as a sex slave to the richer men in the land._

_Her eyes caught most people's attention. She even had offers from organ doctors to buy them from her. She did however, when she first arrived in town, cut off her hair and sold it for a very nice price at the wig maker's shop. _

_Because of her unique attributes, Kaoru often covered her dark hair with a shawl and tried averting the gaze of any who might catch a glimpse in her eyes. This proved to be a mistake the day she ran into a certain red headed youth._

Sorry about the cliffie. I have a midterm to get to. Please tell me if you like the story or not. I have so much more to write.


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